


Ether and Wood

by thegreatandpowerfultoaster



Series: Reader Inserts [22]
Category: BioShock 1 & 2 (Video Games)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Business Trip, F/M, Homesickness, Infidelity, Reader-Insert, Travel, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatandpowerfultoaster/pseuds/thegreatandpowerfultoaster
Summary: "Is there a point to this anecdote, or are you simply hoping to appeal to my rather limited emotional side?"
Relationships: Andrew Ryan/Reader, Diane McClintock/Andrew Ryan, Jasmine Jolene/Andrew Ryan
Series: Reader Inserts [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1124208





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm re-posting all my previous reader-inserts separately as to more accurately tag their content! So if you've seen this before, that's why.
> 
> If you want to request another fic, you can find me @goodmorningaperture on tumblr.
> 
> As a note! This was meant to have a third part. I did not write a third part. We are considering it finished.

It was nice, how the city's lights shown out into the water, illuminating all sorts of colorful fish and things. From Ryan's office it wasn't so hard to see why he'd chosen this location for the city. Well, that and she supposed his options were somewhat limited.

But for all the exterior beauty of the place, it still wasn't home, and even the presence of the man she loved would make home. Presence, of course being relative. Andrew was in the city, of course he never left Rapture, but he had seemingly forgotten that he was supposed to meet (Y/N) here, nearly 20 minutes ago.

It wasn't the first time he'd blown her off for work (or far more likely, another 'meeting', she wasn't totally oblivious) but it still hurt. And this had been important, and he'd known that she wanted to talk about something important.

More and more lately she'd found herself staring out this window, waiting for him to show up, and thinking about what might've been going on up above the city. It had only been the other day when she'd caught herself and realized that Andrew's Paradise was not seeming so grand anymore.

It was bound to happen sometime, (Y/N) supposed but she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. She missed the sunshine, and trees that were all over and...how things used to be.

And no, of course it had not been perfect but she wasn't trapped in a place she couldn't leave and that was getting less and less safe by the day. She had known Andrew Ryan since he was a young man and it hadn't taken long for them to become friends and then later, once Rapture had been built-lovers.

She wasn't sure that's what she'd call them now, after all it was hard to miss the posters all over with Jasmine Joline's fave on them, bold letters proclaiming, "Andrew Ryan's Favorite Girl" and Diane McClintock was coming around often these days and well, poor thing.

His mistress might've been a proper term for the thing. Yes, she was Andrew Ryan's mistress and quite frankly she didn't give a damn. With that out of the way, she turned back to the window, having half a mind to start figuring with one of the got clubs he'd left near his desk just for the sake of having something to do other than sulk.

The door opened quietly behind her, as if the goal was to come in and pretend that he had been there all along. Without turning around, she sighed slightly, letting a little of her disappointment leak into her voice. "You're back, I was afraid something happened."

The last bit wasn't at all true, and both of them clearly knew it. She turned around and there he was, standing rigidly in the doorway, nothing on his face betraying if he felt any semblance of built for being so late. "I had been caught up in Hephaestus. There was a slight issue as far as security went."

Not this again. Maybe he saw the problem (how could he not see it when it was right in front of him) but he did nothing. They didn't argue much, but when they did it was about this. "Ah...I see." Perhaps it was best to leave it at that. "You're back now, though so I assume its solved?"

She was met with a bit of a huff. "Of course it is. You had something you wanted to talk about before dinner tonight?"

With another glance outside and a slow nod, she supposed that she was ready to bring it up, although she doubted that this was going to go very well. "I...now don't get the wrong idea, or anything," she says it for good measure, not because it will help or anything. "But I think I want to leave."

The raised eyebrow tells her that perhaps she could have phrased it better but it's not like she can redo it now. He looks at (Y/N) for what seems like an eternity and it's killing her. Its foolish but she's always sought after his approval and its not like this could be any exception. "You can't leave."

Now, she'd expected far more of an argument than that. Especially from him. Maybe a speech on why she can't go, even punctuated with a rarely given show of affection for good measure, just to be sure that he gets the last say in this particular argument for now. But as she waits for more, she realizes that that's it. Just, _"You Can't Leave"._

"Why not?" She can't keep the surprise out of her tone. It might've been better, had she tried to explain how trapped she felt, and his much she missed the warm sun and the cool grass beneath her feet wherever she went. But none of that would come out now.

Andrew finally closes the door and sits at his desk. (Y/N) suspects that he feels more in charge there. No, she doesn't think so, she knows so. Its something in the way he sits and the slight gleam in his eyes. That, and previous experience she supposes. "You're being foolish, we've had this talk before."

Had they? She couldn't recall ever mentioning it to him. In fact it hadn't even been a real problem until recently. "When?" She shouldn't raise her voice, even a bit, it could so easily be heard but she can't help it. 'Sometimes he is just so infuriating,' (Y/N) thinks.

He's searching around on his desk for something for a moment and when he finds it, she almost sighs again. A pen. So he isn't going to even listen to her. "The other day. I told you it was an absurd thing to worry about the 'attacks'. They are purely fabricated for that exact reason-to generate fear and create problems."

"That's not it." She shook her head. Not at all. Well, maybe partly but certainly not the main problem. "Do you ever just..."

There was no good way to put it, she guessed. Rapture was his brainchild. He was going to get upset no matter what she said, it was best to just be open. "I miss the sun. And I miss not being stuck in one place, you know? I'm not scared of what's down here, I'm just..." It was here (Y/N) hesitated, curling up on herself slightly, and her voice broke. "I think I'm homesick."

He rolls his desk chair out and gestures for her to come closer. He didn't even have to think about that, she notices. (Y/N) lets him pull her into his lap, laying her head on his chest and sighing. Despite all this, Andrew's still looking at her with some measure of disapproval. "Isn't this home? Haven't you made yourself a place here?"

The pen remained untouched. So he was going to listen, or at the very least pretend to. "I suppose so but..." Her face flushed. "Do you remember when we first met? We were both rather different, weren't we...and there was that house, the little one in Wyoming? And you said that you were certain that you could work from there, at least sometimes, and you wanted to get a couple goats and-"

"Is there a point to this anecdote, or are you simply hoping to appeal to my rather limited emotional side?" Andrew deadpans. (Y/N) is fairly certain that was a joke but she decides not to reply in case that it wasn't.

Its a funny story to look back on, being that she had been very right when she'd said that they'd been two very different people. "I want that," she whispers. It's so, so stupid especially when you bring Jasmine and Diane into the list of growing problems. But she's lonely and trapped and grasping at straws. "Let me go home, Andrew, at least for a little bit."

The kiss pressed to the top of her head feels like a sort of wordless apology. "Two days. And you've got to be working, finding people who'd fit here. I trust your judgement."

It's fine. Coming back won't be all that pleasant she feels like but it's something. They can work up to more, and maybe he'd even want to come along. She buries her head in his chest and thanks him profoundly. "I'll miss you though," she smiles. "You know that, right?"

He huffs slightly again but its all for show. "Of course you will, you can't seem to go a moment without me. Which is strange, you aren't usually like this."

'One fight at a time,' (Y/N) thinks before the can bring up the posters, or the times he's been late, or anything else. They've got things to work on, sure but she'll fight for this thing that they have, as hard as he'll fight for Rapture.


	2. Chapter 2

She was packed now-not that there was really much to pack for two days, granted but it was still another thing out of the way. What was next? Andrew had made the arrangements in a shockingly short amount of time but she trusted that he knew what he was doing.

Breakfast, she supposed seeing that it was late morning already and it hadn't been something she'd thought of yet. Luckily, there was food in her apartment and she wouldn't have to risk running into anyone. Andrew had asked her to keep her trip quiet, but she was just so excited that she was certain that it wouldn't be easy.

Oh, that was something she hadn't thought of...Considering that Rapture had long since switched to their own currency, it wasn't as if she had any money to eat up there, or take transportation. (Y/N) supposed that it might've been a good idea to try to contact family before now-ah, but that wouldn't have worked.

Anyone who came to Rapture was declared Missing, and that would be a lot of explaining to do, wouldn't it? Perhaps someone would have kept-

A knock at the door interrupted her. She quickly shoved her suitcase where it wouldn't be seen easily, and slowly opened her front door. It shouldn't have surprised her so much to see Andrew Ryan there, after all they had been seeing each other for years now and he showed up from time to time at her door.

But he was holding a suitcase now, an old worn one, though not the one he brought work with him in, but one that she recognized, somehow. It must've been one that he'd used long ago and since discarded. Otherwise, he looked as professional as ever in a pressed suit and with perfectly groomed hair. "You're ready to go?"

Although confused, (Y/N) nodded. "Yes. Are you going to take me to the Bathysphere? It's a bit early." Unless the suitcase in his hand meant other things and she had somehow convinced him that going would be good for him too. When they had spoken before, that certainly hadn't seemed to be the case.

He shook his head. "I wanted to come in for a minute, actually," and gave her a look that clearly said 'You won't deny me that, will you?' Although she couldn't see him saying the words, there was no other interpretation of the look. She gestured for him to come in, and quickly closed the door.

"So I assume you didn't drop by for a social visit," (Y/N) ran a hand through her hair, watching him get situated at her table. He didn't tend to do that much anymore. If they were doing something together it was long, long after he should've been done with work and she literally had to drag him away from his damn desk.

"I'm coming with you," with this, a wide smile crossed her face. "There's someone that I have been trying to contact up there for several years and if we could meet in person, I feel that I could be far more successful."

Her smile disappeared as quick as it had came. God, did he ever stop working? Who reminded him to eat between the borderline obsessive days? 'Oh, that's right,' (Y/N) thought sarcastically. 'I do that.' Sometimes the reward was not at all worth it, either. This would be worth it though, she was convinced.

She hugged him and tried to smile convincingly. "I'm glad you decided to come with." That much was true, at least.

It had not been the grand re-entrance into the surface world she'd expected either of them to make, but that was alright. When the bathysphere had first exited the water, she'd been asleep and he'd been reading.

But nonetheless the city was far behind them how and neither could change their minds on the matter. (Y/N) stretched and turned to Andrew again, speaking for about the first time since they'd left Rapture. "Can the Bathysphere take us very far, or have you got a boat or something waiting?"

"The bathyspheres have been updated since they'd been invented," he replied dryly. Whether that was a joke or not she wasn't sure. "We'll make it to America long before the sun sets...you look like you doubt me."

The answer came quickly. "Of course not. But you have to admit that its a bit of a stretch to imagine."

He seemed amused. "Rapture might've been more technically advanced than you gave it credit for, (Y/N)."

She laughed somewhat bitterly and looked away. "If you're talking about Fontaine's Little Sister project of your...counter to it, I'm fully aware of it and that's not even a very good way to broach that subject."

One of his eyebrows raised a tiny bit. He hadn't expected that, she supposed. "I suppose that it isn't."

Looking outside, she supposed that the Bathyspheres was travelling quickly, but not so quickly that she might believe him. Or perhaps it was faster than he looked, something in relation to the water and the sun and the movement-and well, it sounded sciencey and believable at least.

And the sun was shining and though she wished she'd noticed it before, it was here now and it was as warm and bright and perfect as she remembered. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him smile, too.

It really wasn't that long before the Bathysphere hit land, she supposed. Around 5ish, probably. Luckily Andrew Ryan had managed to make dinner plans with the man he was supposed to meet with far, far later and somehow, it seemed he still had connections on the surface, even being declared missing (and likely dead a while after that) several years ago.

But they had a hotel room, apparently and a car (how long had it been since she'd even seen one of those?) And a reservation to a fancy restaurant that she'd never heard of. It was a lot like things tphad been before, actually and at that realization something swelled in her chest.

Yep, she'd missed this.


End file.
